Why do i sometimes get mistakened for being arab?

Question

i'm indian

Answer 1

because you probably have dark hair and dark eyes and some people stereotype

Answer 2

Because people are not very observant. They categorize people: Persians, Indians, and Arabs somehow are put in the same category by some people.

Answer 3

show us a photo and we would be able to tell you why.

Answer 4

Many Indians have facial features similar to Arabs, not to mention similar height.

Answer 5

WE ARE SO CLOSELY RELATED IN THIS WORLD.

WE ALL COME FROM THE SAME FAMILY.

Answer 6

Now can you see why it really doesn't matter what color you are ... or from what continent you were born?  

Everyone is pretty preoccupied with their separateness from other people... they're categorized by skin color, ethnicity, gender, etc.  That really helps no one.

Will we ever see our similarities? ...  is the real question.

Answer 7

I dunno, but I'm an Anglo-Saxon male who often gets mistaken for Hispanic...at least when I'm not gothed out.  I think it's my perma-tanned skin, really, but it's still annoying.

I hate to say it, but in your case, it's likely xenophobia that has them presupposing you to being an Arab.  Maybe the ignorant masses don't know you're Indian unless you have a dot on your head, etc.  Either way, why should it matter what ethnicity an individual is?  Why do people even ask people questions like "Oh, are you an Arab?", or make similar presuppositions?  Meh, nobody will ever know.

Answer 8

Islamophobia is running rampant in the Western world right now. Anyone with olive skin is identified as "Arab" or Muslim by many people who don't know the difference between Hindi, Urdu, Persian, Tamil, and Arabic.

http://www.colorq.org/Articles/article.a...

Mr Jones, there is a substantial ethnic community of Zoroastrian Persians in India.

Answer 9

Now, exactly how would we know that?

What, do you think we can just magically know all things?

Who do you think we are?

A psychic hot line?

Answer 10

im puertorican-korean and everyone thinks im mexican. people just assume!! main thing is you know who you are, and dont be ashamed of it!!!

Answer 11

If you are Indian then why the name "Persian Princess"?  Arab is an ethnicity based upon language.  Persian is too, but Indian is a nationality.

Why you are mistaken depends upon where you are.  In the United States, where I'm from, your average person doesn't know the difference between ethnicity, nationality and race, and certainly doesn't understand the difference between Arab and Muslim.  If you are Muslim you may well be assumed to be Arab.  Also, people of southwest Asian cultures are usually conflated with Arabs because Americans  know so little about that part of the world and, lamentably, rely upon stereotypes.

Answer 12

Note to Mr. Jones: Well maybe Persian Princess wants to have some fun with name play in Yahoo. No harm done... I have had lots of crazy names. And India isn't far from Iran.

Persian Princess, here's my story, hope it helps.

I am American living in Egypt and working in Dubai. I am white, blue eyed and old. I cover my hair and wear Egyptian style Muslim clothing.

I get asked if I am Egyptian, Syrian, or British all the time. I get asked if I am Muslim all the time.

Mr. Jones was completely accurate about people in the United States not being culturally aware. But people here can't tell I am American either, so I guess it happens everywhere in the world.

Also, it does take study or international exploration to begin to recognise different ethnicities and cultures "at a glance",  or in the hearing of an accent.

Anyways, I love it...just a huge world full of all of us!

Salam.